“Have a break, have a KitKat” is a slogan with almost 70 years of history. It was created in 1958 by the J. Walter Thompson agency with the intention of promoting KitKat as the ideal snack to take a break and relax, even if only for a few minutes. Over the decades the brand has found multiple formulas to express that idea, and continues to innovate and explore the media and channels to materialize its positioning.
KitLat and the slowest vending machine in the world
It has recently done so in India with “The Slowest Vending Machine in The World”, created together with the VML India agency. The brand claims to have created a vending machine that takes around three minutes to deliver the chocolate, forcing consumers to wait for that time and, consequently, take a break.
As explained by the agency through LinkedIn, the device has been installed for a limited time in one of the busiest spots in the city of Hyderabad. The machine breaks with vending conventions by offering a long waiting time, but also with aesthetic standards, since it is a true exercise in craftsmanship. The machine is actually a model of a miniature city that includes trains, ferris wheels and trucks, creating a small distribution chain for the KitKat product.
As VML India points out, the objective of the machine is to deliver the product, but also to provide that respite that KitKat has been defending for years. “Hack” the concept of vending, created precisely to offer products instantly, to invite consumers to enjoy a break in a world that lives increasingly faster and experiences an increasingly hectic routine.
“In a world obsessed with the immediate, we have built something that does exactly the opposite” commented Rohan Kumar, Executive Creative Director at VML India, via LinkedIn. “It forces a world that never stops to do so and take a breath. Created with a lot of faith, a little madness and a team that has not settled for the ordinary”.
According to the creatives, the device has required two years of work and the collaboration of international teams. The audiovisual piece has been created together with the production company The Other Half.
Together with the VML agency, it has activated “Little Breaks”, which celebrates the small everyday moments
KitKat’s small breaks in the United Kingdom
In another part of the world, in the United Kingdom, the Nestlé brand has found another formula to make its usual break, one in which it also gives a pause to the slogan itself. And it has included those small moments of disconnection in a series of graphics that only show part of the KitKat logo and its identifiable red color.
Once again together with the VML agency, the brand has activated “Little Breaks”, an outdoor advertising campaign that celebrates the small everyday moments that provide a break and make a difference. From getting lost in a book, to playing an instrument or simply sitting down to enjoy what surrounds us, all of this is reflected in a series of illustrations that are integrated into the KitKat logo, converted for the occasion into a kind of creative canvas.
Each of the illustrations, which the agency assures have been drawn by hand, are inspired by a different way of taking a break and recharging energy. These drawings are included in the logo, almost hidden among its curves, to be discovered by those passersby who take a moment to look closer.
The campaign, now active in various parts of the United Kingdom, is presented as a simple but powerful reminder to slow down. “In a world that rarely stops, finding meaning in those small daily breaks has never seemed more relevant.” commented Beth Lucas, Marketing Director at Nestlé UK and Ireland, via LinkedIn. “What I like most about this action is the subtlety: the illustrations woven into the logo invite you to look closer, rewarding a moment of attention in a way that feels true to the brand.”.
Both the brand and the agency defend that “Little Breaks” builds on KitKat’s iconic legacy, defending breaks in a way that is fresh and deeply authentic. “A break doesn’t have to be a big scheduled event. It can be a small moment of strumming a guitar, daydreaming in a park or a few sips of tea while looking into the distance.” said Sanjiv Mistry, Executive Creative Director at VML UK, on LinkedIn. “After more than 70 years of ‘Have a Break, Have a KitKat’, in ‘Little Breaks’ we have brought the brand and the break closer than ever”.
